The Victorian legacy of wealth.
Near where I live there is a Victorian Art gallery and museum. A few miles away there are new ones, modern boxes, iconic buildings that cost tens of millions. My little Victorian gallery only opens a few hours a week. There are also canals that were built in the Victorian era, some before that. The railways are Victorian and some of the stations are still being used. There are still a lot of houses and other Victorian buildings around too.
What is customer relationship marketing?
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Fairy Dharawat.
What is CRM?
CRM (customer relationship marketing) is a marketing model carried out based on research and findings of customer’s behaviour and buying patterns. When does the shopper shop? How often do they make trips to the store? What are the usual items that they prefer and what is their purchasing power? All this data is collected through point of sale.
Money is a unit of exchange, not wealth
We tend to think money is wealth, but it’s not; it’s just a unit of exchange for exchanging wealth. The wealth is the stuff we produce; goods and services. Some things like property will appear to go up in value. The sun appears to rise in the morning, but we know that the sun doesn’t go around the earth. The earth appears flat, but we know it’s not. Money seems to keep it’s value, but it doesn’t really, it goes down in value when central banks increase the money supply. Everyone who has money then loses out and people who have wealth in oil, gold or some other commodities like property, will gain.
How to get Business Ideas | Marketing Mix
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Fairy Dharawat.
Stumbling on a great idea is not going to happen to you while you are waiting for it. These brilliant ideas often visit us when we are leisurely strolling in a garden or singing in our bathroom. So when we decide we want to start business, why we are deserted by our brilliant minds that shy away from giving even a tiny bit of hope of getting that awesome idea for our venture? What needs to be ensured when we go ahead with our dream project? Well nothing can be ensured while one goes on the road to build a business. So while you wait for that brilliant idea to arrive, read on for some of marketing mix points to inspire your ideas. (more…)
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
When I was young it was expensive to buy company shares, but it’s much cheaper now with electronic trading. So why do fewer people own shares? Shareholders used to be people, now shareholders are companies, funds and banks. Shares are bought and sold by computers. The price of a companies shares drops a little and stop-loss instructions kick in on a zillion computers; they panic and send the shares crashing down. Governments are panicking too and printing money like there is no tomorrow. Is the world economic system terminally sick? The rich will saunter around Harrods, sip their champagne and munch on their strawberries which the poor scavenge for bargains in discount stores.
How retail design can boost your business
By Fairy Dharawat
Wikipedia defines retail design as “Retail design is a creative and commercial discipline that combines several different areas of expertise together in the design and construction of retail space”
In simple words retail design is using specialized practice of architecture and interior design, to stock and sell products in an enjoyable and convenient shopping experience for shoppers.
How can visual marketing boost your sales?
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
by Fairy Dharawat
What is visual marketing?
According to Wikipedia, visual marketing focuses on the study and critical analysis of the ability of objects to be ‘protagonists’ in a visual communication scenario.”
In simple words visual marketing is a platform that helps you to sell your product in the visual media.
So you think you can start a business?
By Fairy Dharawat
If you are thinking of starting a business, well you are a courageous person, yes really. There are many who ‘think’ and don’t go ahead with their idea. It is quite understandable, because the effort requiring for starting a business is not child’s play. Well known business people like Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg started young and looked at what opportunities there were and had to experiment a little before they hit on a winning formula for a good business.
The unpredictable shopper
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Fairy Dharawat
All shoppers come now under this category as many find retailers themselves in the vulnerable position of not able to decode the shopper. A shopper may spend a thousand bucks on a mundane item which would indicate no peculiar habit to learn from. The influencing factors are changing like the changing seasons. Just think about yourself what kind of brand is going to make you shell out that insane amount of money?
Shopper Insights
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A Guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
What is a shopper insight?
“Data-driven learning that leads to an actionable understanding of shopper behaviour and purchase influences.”
Why should you know about this?
The Female Shopper
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Fairy Dharawat
There are many different types of shopper, but all that comes later. Let’s try to understand the primary shoppers, who are male and female shoppers. It is tough to gauge responses from shoppers when they show confusing patterns of purchases. So as a female shopper, I thought, why not write what female shopper really wants, one female at a time. (more…)
How to get a great promotional idea
A Guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
If you have read my posts until now, you must have noticed that I insist on doing something novel and imaginative for business. It is only through new, trendy and interesting promotional activities, that we can connect to a shopper. For a shopper to really get involved, they need to be engaged and entertained. I also mentioned that the activity need not be expensive. Now could this be possible? I say, yes. (more…)
The new shopper
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
To study what influences the shopper of today is difficult. This has a lot to do with the many different categories of shoppers. Some categories are not even identified, but they exist in our world of retail. The wanderer shopper is one who has no need to come to the store, but comes rather for the feel of a community. The impulsive shopper is one who visits and buys products on a whim. (more…)
Introduction to design thinking
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
While researching for a new topic for today’s writing, I came across the word ‘design’. The word made me curious, curious as to its meaning. Design has always being stereotyped as something beautiful and is often thought of with a limited vision of dealing with everything beautiful; say a pattern in dress, fashion designing; nice interior, interior designing; art, moveable design. But design is much more than a few vocational professions. Design is about planning and execution. (more…)
Shopping with Colours
Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
As marketing products plays a pivotal role in garnering profits, our world has seen some interesting marketing strategies to lure shoppers. Until now we have seen some great and not so great marketing gimmicks that have shaped the world of marketing today. All this has but one point to make and one statement to make; to be different and to increase sales. Increasing sales involves buying and buying is done by shoppers. The shopper, when they buy, becomes a consumer. The consumer is what every retailer and brand wants their shoppers to be; loyal consumers. This does not happen often and many theories have been written about this. The whole purpose of marketing is to get the product off the shelf and this is the motive behind the marketing budget planned by the board of directors of huge companies; some get lucky, some do not. What really goes on in the mind of a shopper when they buy? Many theories have been written and today we will discuss one of them. (more…)
Changing purchasing habits
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
We tend to be tied to our habits and behave habitually. Bad habits and good habits influence the outcome of most of our decisions. Habits are an acquired pattern of behaviour that often occurs automatically. Habits are what make us who we are. (more…)
Consumer behaviour decoded
A Guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
According to Wikipedia, “Understanding consumer behaviour is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a product.”
Why should you, a small time business owner want to know about this?
As if a regular business owner is not daunted with many responsibilities, this study seems redundant and anyway, there are many small businesses who have been there; done that. These small time businesses are still healthily surviving. (more…)
The business of branding
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
Here we discuss why you should brand your product, even if you have small business.
According to Wikipedia, “A brand is a “Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or service as distinct from those of other sellers”. The brand was derived from the Old Norse word “brandr” meaning “to burn.”
The brand is like the personality of product. Products have the brand mark on their packaging, just like an individual having a tattoo. Relating to a brand personifies the individual personality. This is very important for brands. The brand is the identity of the product. Like Marvel and DC; they are the brands of so many comic book heroes. (more…)
Boost your Small Business with Marketing Research – Superhero Style!
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
In today’s world of competitive market, if you are thinking of opening your very own business, you should be congratulated. Congratulations then, for finally getting up the courage to open your own venture. With today’s world of cut throat competition, even big corporate houses are feeling the heat in order to stay up to date in the market. Let me not even start with shoppers who are ‘dumped’ with so many products that they are clueless sometimes to their needs. There was a time when there was something called a ‘shopping experience’ but today it has only remains as a term due to the competition, brands are facing. So how do you hold your brand new business in a safe position? What should you do, to not fall in the category of ‘failed businesses’? What should you do to give these big businesses a run for their money? Well I present you with Market Research. (more…)
The Business of Packaging
A Guest Blog by Fairy Dharawat
Packaging is an important part in any business today due to the visual marketing concept which works wonders to any given product. This is the day and age of looking good and selling pretty.
Packaging is the science, art and technology of protecting products for distribution, storage, sale and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Package labelling can be written, electronic, or a graphics communications on the packaging or on a separate, but associated label. (more…)
How Visual Merchandising Can Boost Your Sales
A guest blog by Fairy Dharawat
So you have finally opened your dream store. Everything is in place. The finance part, the advertising part and every little minute detail you needed for incepting your store is complete. You advertised in your own way in the local newspaper and on the radio station or the old and traditionally famous word of mouth concept is working its magic. You place every item you wanted in place. Now you are waiting for customers to come in to your store. You think now all you have to hear is your cash box registering. (more…)
